Twelve Remain at U.S. Open

Only 12 players remain of the 256 who kicked off the week at the 35th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships in Chesapeake, VA. The $50,000-added event began last Sunday and will crown a winner Saturday.

Ever since his unexpected defeat in the first round by Mike “Fireball” Dechaine 11-3, 2007 champion Shane Van Boening has been a man on a mission. Having eliminated excellent opponents such as 2004 winner Gabe Owen, Keith Bennett, Manny Chau, Chris Bartram, and Brandon Shuff with ease, it seems Van Boening is only priming himself for attacking the finals from the west. In the last afternoon round Friday, Van Boening found himself matched up against 1999 winner Johnny Archer. Van Boening took a three-rack lead but watched it evaporate as Archer came back and knotted the score. Then it was Archer’s turn to take the lead 7-4, but at that point Van Boening wasted no more time and surged ahead, winning seven games in a row to take the match 11-7.

Jesse Engel knocked off Strickland and Sigel before falling to Melling. Not too shabby for only being eighteen years old.

Francisco Bustamante, who was inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame the previous evening, rebounded from his hill-hill defeat by David Alcaide and crushed Chris Melling in the afternoon round 11-3. Bustamante’s next match will be against the loser of the Ralf Souquet / Jason Klatt match.

The legendary Efren Reyes finally exited the building. He suffered an 11-5 loss to Darren Appleton on the winners’ side, eliminated fellow Hall of Famer Nick Varner 11-8, and then was himself eliminated by countryman Warren Kiamco 11-4.

Appleton remains undefeated, having bested 2001 winner Corey Deuel 11-8 to reach the winners’ side final four. His next match will be against Spain’s David Alcaide, who defeated Thorsten “Hitman” Hohmann 11-5.

Mika Immonen, hoping for his third U.S. Open title in a row, defeated Lo Li-wen, 2010 U.S. Open 10-Ball Championships runner-up, 11-7. Lo will face off against Kiamco on the one-loss side in the first evening round.